Polity 

Should Governors head State universities? - The Hindu

The role of the Governor as Chancellor of State universities is a subject of intense debate. It is often misconstrued as a post-Independence measure to safeguard universities against political interference. 

Governor as Chancellor of State Universities

• Origin: Introduced in 1857 for the universities in Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras under British colonial rule.
• Post-Independence: This model was retained by State university laws, despite the fact that the Constitution does not confer this role.
• Shifts After 1967: Governors transitioned from neutral figures to political tools of the Central government.
• Criticism and Commissions
  • First ARC (1966–77): Flagged politicisation of Governor’s post, citing appointment of defeated politicians.
  • Sarkaria Commission (1983–88): Showed over 60% of Governors were active politicians, many appointed right after electoral losses.
  • Professor Ashok Pankaj’s Study (1950–2015): Only 22% Governors  from academia, judiciary, or armed forces.

Dual Role & Challenges

• Constitutional vs. Statutory Functions: Governor acts on ministerial advice constitutionally but wields discretionary authority as Chancellor.
• Minimal Accountability: Governors hold extensive power over Vice-Chancellor appointments and university decisions.
• Result: Delays in appointments, administrative paralysis, and limited academic expertise in decision-making.

Insights from Commissions

• Rajamannar Committee (TN, 1969–71): Suggested Governor should act on State government’s advice in statutory roles.
• Sarkaria Commission (1983–88): Recognized Governor’s Chancellor role as statutory, not constitutional.
• Venkatachaliah Commission (2000–02): Urged political neutrality and clearer definitions.
• Punchhi Commission (2007–10): Recommended Governors avoid statutory roles like Chancellor to preserve the office’s dignity.

Alternative Models

• Governor as Ceremonial Figure: Must act on State Council of Ministers’ advice (e.g., Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra).
• Chief Minister as Chancellor: Proposed in West Bengal and Punjab; awaiting Presidential assent.
• State-Appointed Chancellor: Telangana model, with an eminent academic or public figure as Chancellor; Bills in Tamil Nadu, Kerala pending assent.
• Elected Chancellor: University bodies/alumni choose a ceremonial head (U.K. examples).
• Executive Council Appointments: Institutions like Birmingham, McGill, and Melbourne appoint their Chancellors through a transparent board process.

Way Forward

• Ensuring accountability to State governments.
• Reducing political interference.
• Promoting academic autonomy
• Dismantling colonial structures.

World Affairs

What is US birthright citizenship, how has it evolved, what is the law in India - Indian Express 

A federal judge recently temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at curtailing the right to birthright citizenship in the United States.

Origin of Birthright Citizenship in the U.S.

• Early Practice (Post-1776): The 1788 U.S. Constitution referenced “natural born citizens” in Article 2, covering jus soli (birth in U.S.) and jus sanguinis (birth abroad to American fathers).
• Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857): SCOTUS ruled that enslaved individuals and their descendants were not citizens.
• 14th Amendment (1866): Declared “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof” are citizens.
• United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898): SCOTUS clarified that those born on U.S. soil, regardless of their parents’ nationality, are U.S. citizens.

Interpretations of the 14th Amendment

• Wong Kim Ark Case (1898)
  • Context: Wong Kim Ark, born in the U.S. to Chinese parents, was denied re-entry under the Chinese Exclusion Act.
  • SCOTUS Ruling: Wong was “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S. despite his parents’ nationality, entitling him to citizenship.
  • Significance: Forms the core precedent sustaining birthright citizenship, challenging any attempt to abolish it.
• Plyler v. Doe (1982)
  • About: Affirmed that children of undocumented immigrants, being “subject to the jurisdiction” of U.S. laws, hold a right to public education.
  • Rationale: No meaningful legal distinction exists between those who entered the U.S. lawfully or unlawfully for the 14th Amendment’s purposes.

Birthright Citizenship in India

• Debate: Article 5 of the Constitution accorded citizenship to all persons born in India before its commencement.

• Citizenship Act, 1955 (Section 3): Granted birthright citizenship to everyone born in India post-January 26, 1950, except children of foreign envoys or enemy aliens in occupied territory.
• 1986 Amendment: Ended unrestricted birthright citizenship. Children born after this date gained citizenship only if one parent was Indian.
• 2003 Amendment: If either parent was an illegal immigrant at the time of birth, the child did not acquire Indian citizenship.

Economy 

Why are crypto withdrawals being restricted for investors? - The Hindu

Mudrex, a crypto platform that is “U.S.-headquartered and Bengaluru-based” made headlines this month when it announced it was temporarily pausing crypto withdrawals until January 28, to “enhance the security of our platform and safeguard against bad actors.

Registration & KYC

• Complete detailed KYC: Crypto traders must complete KYC to comply with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) regulations.

Exchange Withdrawal Policies

• Varying Rules: Some exchanges allow limited withdrawals, others block them entirely.
• Main Concern: Fear of legal repercussions if assets are diverted to illicit channels.
• Outcome: Users lose the flexibility of holding crypto long-term or transferring it to private wallets.

Reasons Behind Restrictions

• Regulatory Risks: Indian authorities closely monitor conversion of INR to crypto, fearing money laundering and terror financing.
• Centralised Exchanges: Worry about entire bank accounts getting frozen if even a few users misuse withdrawals.

Different Exchange Approaches

• CoinDCX & CoinSwitch: Generally restrict crypto withdrawals, citing strict capital controls and risk of misuse.
• ZebPay: Offers two user modes; one allows crypto withdrawals, the other restricts them.
• Binance: Permits crypto withdrawals for Indian users, but is embroiled in legal disputes over ownership of WazirX.

User Responses

• Selling Crypto for INR: May force investors to cash out, disrupting long-term strategies.
• Using Non-Compliant Exchanges: Some move to platforms not registered in India.
• Decentralised/Unregulated Platforms: Others resort to unregulated or malicious exchanges, increasing risk.

Way Forward

• Need for Clear Regulations: Current tax regime does not offer investor protection or encourage legitimate crypto businesses.
• Enhanced Due Diligence: Some exchanges plan improved KYC/security frameworks to safely permit withdrawals.
• Stable Policy Framework: A regulatory roadmap could clarify concerns on security, compliance, and misuse prevention.

Why J&K is issuing ‘Aadhaar' to each chinar tree - Indian Express

The Jammu & Kashmir government has launched the “Tree Aadhaar” mission for the conservation of the region’s chinar trees which have been dwindling in numbers over the years.

Chinar Tree

• Botanical name: Plantus orientalis var cashmeriana.
• Climate: Cool climates with ample water (Eastern Himalayas).
• Gestation: Takes 30–50 years to mature and up to 150 years to reach full size.
• Dimensions: Can grow around 30 m tall with a girth of 10–15 m.

Origin:

• Believed to be coined by Mughals, possibly Emperor Jahangir.
• Likely derived from a Persian phrase “Che naar ast” (“What flame is that?”) referencing its crimson-red autumn leaves.
• Mughal Influence: Jahangir established Naseem Bagh on Dal Lake’s banks with over 1,100 chinar trees.
• State Tree: Recognised as the “state tree” of J&K
• Oldest Chinar: A 700-year-old tree in Budgam district, believed to have been planted by a Sufi saint.

Chinar Conservation Project

• Protection Rules: Cutting a chinar requires government permission, even on private land; illegal felling still occurs.

Objective:

• Track and preserve every chinar tree by assigning a unique ID (Tree Aadhaar).
• Conduct a census across Kashmir Valley and the Chenab region.

Progress:

• Over 28,560 chinar trees have been geo-tagged and enumerated so far.
• Estimated total: 32,000-33,000 chinar trees.

QR Code Labelling: Each tree gets a metallic QR code displaying 25 parameters (e.g., coordinates, age, height, girth, health, canopy size, and eco-threats).

Science and Technology 

Indian space programme breaks into 2025 in ‘mission mode’ - The Hindu

Just as 2024 was the year India developed a vision for its space programme, 2025 is likely to have the programme in mission mode. The PSLV-C60 mission, underway as the year began, laid the foundations for Chandrayaan-4 and the Bharatiya Antariksh Station.

SpaDeX

• Launch: December 30, 2024, PSLV-C60 launched it into a 475-km orbit.
• Collaborations: Private firm Kepler Aerospace provided ground station services. Swiss company s2a systems monitored satellite separation.

Rendezvous Phases:

• Phase 1: After reaching up to 20 km separation on January 2, the satellites progressively closed in, but drift issues at 225 m on January 8 forced ISRO to reset.
• Phase 2:  They maintained varying distances (1.5 km, 230 m, 105 m, 15 m, 3 m) before each attempt, then moved apart to analyse sensor data.

• Successful Docking: The satellites were then controlled as a single system.
• Post-Deployment Phase: After launching SpaDeX satellites, PSLV-C60’s fourth stage was placed in a 350-km circular orbit.
• Passivation: Fuel was dumped to prevent explosive debris creation, enabling the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM4) mission.

Key Payloads 

• Relocatable Robotic Manipulator (ISRO): Tested movement and relocation by shifting from one part of POEM4 to another.
• Debris Capture Robotic Arm Manipulator (ISRO): Arm movement verified; unclear if it successfully captured the tethered debris piece.
• Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies (CROPS) (ISRO): Germinated cowpea seeds; studied leaf development in orbit.
• SwetchaSAT-V0 (N Space Tech): Tested communication in UHF to Ku bands; established contact with ground station.
• BGS-ARPIT (SJC Institute of Technology & Upagraha Amateur Radio Club): Amateur radio messaging payload.
• GLX-SQ (GalaxEye): Created a synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) image, fulfilling mission objectives.
• MOI-TD (TakeMe2Space): AI unit uploaded large models from ground station, ran external code, and downlinked results.
• Amity Plant Experimental Module in Space (APEMS): Reported positive results in growing a plant under controlled conditions in orbit.

Transporter 12 Launch

• Context: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Transporter 12 mission (January 15) launched 131 payloads, including three Indian projects:
• Pixxel Space: Three Firefly hyperspectral satellites form India’s first private satellite constellation.
• Digantara: Launched a space camera for space situational awareness, complementing ground-based tracking.
• XDLINX Labs: Built Elevation 1 miniaturized communications satellite for Almagest Space Corporation, integrated by Ananth Technologies.

Paraquat - Indian Express

A 24-year old woman was awarded the death sentence by a Thiruvananthapuram court which found her guilty of poisoning her boyfriend in 2022 with a chemical herbicide called paraquat.

Paraquat

• Definition: A widely-used herbicide (paraquat dichloride/methyl viologen) for weed control and crop desiccation (e.g., cotton).
• Toxicity: WHO lists paraquat as Category 2 (moderately hazardous).
• Ban: Over 70 countries (including China and EU) have banned its sale due to high toxicity.
• Usage: Still widely used in the US (2X between 2014–2018) and India.

• Exposure: Ingestion (most common), skin contact (prolonged/undiluted), inhalation (respiratory issues).
• Risks: Damages mouth, stomach, intestinal lining; rapidly impacts lungs, liver, kidneys.
• Symptoms: 
  • Low-dose Exposure: Gradual organ damage (heart, kidneys, liver, lungs) over days/weeks.
  • High-dose Exposure: Rapid kidney failure, heart rate increase, seizures, severe respiratory failure.
• Treatment Options
  • No Known Antidotes.
  • CDC Advice: Immediate use of activated charcoal or Fuller’s earth .
  • Immunosuppression or charcoal haemoperfusion.
  • Urgent medical intervention required.
• Safety & Restrictions
  • U.S.: Paraquat sold only to licensed users; forbidden in residential settings.
  • India: Governed by the Insecticides Act (1968).
    • Allowed on specific crops (wheat, rice, tea, etc.) and certain waterways for weed control.
    • Mostly unregulated at ground level, often sold without prescription or safe-handling training.
• Need for Precautions
  • Personal protective equipment (PPE) often not used by farmers.
  • Overseas guidelines mandate adding dyes, odours, and emetics to distinguish paraquat and induce vomiting if ingested.`